


A Halloween on the Cerulean Sea

by Northern_spies



Category: The House in the Cerulean Sea - T. J. Klune
Genre: Family Feels, Family Fluff, Fluff, Gen, Halloween
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-31
Updated: 2020-10-31
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:20:37
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,916
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27293335
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Northern_spies/pseuds/Northern_spies
Summary: Linus and Sal have their first Halloween as part of the Marsyas Island family.
Relationships: Arthur Parnassus & Sal (The House in the Cerulean Sea), Linus Baker & Sal (The House in the Cerulean Sea), Linus Baker/Arthur Parnassus
Comments: 14
Kudos: 53





	A Halloween on the Cerulean Sea

**Author's Note:**

> This book has reached deep into my soul, so I wrote a quick Halloween story. Thanks to the Tumblr chat for the encouragement!

It was very nearly the end of October when Linus came home, and that meant an immediate high dive into a busy season on Marsyas Island.

They started with preparing Talia’s garden for winter, bringing some of the potted plants indoors and dividing the daffodil and tulip bulbs. After that, Linus spent two days ensuring the children’s cold-weather gear still fit, making lists so they could replace what didn’t, and mending what needed mending. When that was all sorted, they turned their attention to preparing for Halloween.

The children came from a variety of cultures and Arthur made room for any and all holidays they brought with them. Linus could tell that Halloween was a house-wide favorite and he marveled at how it all came together. First, there was a debate about what to dress as, and whether they ought to coordinate. The children settled on “animals” as the group theme, then tore through the house in a whirlwind searching for materials. They’d scavenged the attic and unearthed an old sewing machine. With a few tweaks from Helen, it was up and running in no time, and Linus quite quickly found himself running an impromptu costume shop. 

Fortunately, it turned out he remembered his junior high school course in home economics rather more than he expected. He spent a hurried week measuring, stitching, and papier-mache-ing, crafting a menagerie of disguises suited to each child’s needs. Helen had done what she called “enhanced screening” (which Linus suspected consisted of equal parts enthusiastic explanations and threats) of the village shopkeepers and residents along the main street, arranging a trick-or-treating route on which the kids would be relatively safe. Given such an exciting new experience was on the horizon, ensuring each child had their perfect costume felt important. 

On the afternoon of October 30, Linus took inventory of the completed costumes. Seeing the gathering of outfits around the guest house made his heart soar. A frog for Talia, a dragonfly for Phee. Theodore had asked for a beak and parrot wings and Chauncey a bushy squirrel tail. Lucy, ever creative, had insisted he wanted to be a “killer bunny,” and so Linus stitched ears to a pair of his zippered and hooded pajamas, picked up a set of plastic fangs from the shop in town, and used food dye to stain the tips a vague shade between pink and red. Lucy had promptly insisted he be allowed to try it on and had fallen asleep. Murder bunnies were rather cute, after all, though they fought you a little even while dozing when you removed their fangs as a choking hazard. 

Linus chuckled fondly to himself as he took a final count and paused. Five costumes, six children… oh. Where was Sal’s costume? He racked his brain and, no, he couldn’t recall a request from him. Grabbing his tape measure and a pen, he ran from the guest house.

Arthur greeted him on the porch with a bemused expression and a kiss to his cheek. “Costume emergency?”

“Why yes, actually. I don’t have a costume for Sal.” 

Arthur looked thoughtful. “Hmm. I was wondering if something like this would happen. I’m not a shapeshifter, not exactly, but I know there’s a lot of complicated emotion around disguises for those of us to whom they come naturally. We so often have to hide those disguises that are more truly part of ourselves.”

“Oh, I- I hadn’t thought of that,” said Linus, a bit uncertain. “I hope the other children and I haven’t pushed him too hard to participate. If he’d prefer to stay on the island, I’d be happy to have a quiet night in with him here.”

Arthur reached for his hand. “That’s a kind offer and one I know he’ll appreciate, even if he doesn’t take you up on it. What a gentle and delightful soul you are.” He tugged Linus through the door. “It’s free period, so he’s probably in his room.”

They took the stairs hand in hand and reached Sal’s door, knocking and waiting until he opened it for them. Stepping inside, Linus marveled for a moment at how much homier it was beginning to look. The desk now held a potted plant, undoubtedly a joint venture between Phee and Talia, blue-green leaves stretching toward the sunny window. The walls too were slowly blooming with color, covered in a poster containing each child’s hand or claw or tentacle print in a rainbow of different shades. Best of all, Sal had pinned up a few of his own poems. They looked to be mostly brief meditations on nature, but they were poems he was comfortable with others seeing all the same. It was a stunningly beautiful sight, and Linus had to take a moment to blink back an errant tear. 

Arthur carefully shut the door behind them and then turned to Sal. “Linus and I wanted to talk to you a little more about Halloween.”

Sal looked down at his socked feet. “Yeah. I know I was supposed to let Linus know which animal I wanted to be by Thursday afternoon.”

Linus shook his head. “That doesn’t matter, that’s only if you wanted to dress up. It’s okay if you don’t. If you don’t want to go into the village, you and I can stay here, maybe do some reading or a puzzle together?” 

“Or, you can come along without a costume,” Arthur added. “I know it can be uncomfortable, sometimes, dressing up as something else.”

Sal looked up at them. “It’s not… it’s not that I don’t want to. It’s just, some people already see me as an animal, if they’ve seen me shift before? And everyone else is dressing up as animals. It doesn’t feel right.”

Arthur nodded. “That makes sense to me, Sal, and if you ever want to talk more about it we can. Person to person. Any time you like.”

Sal shrugged. “Maybe.” 

Something clicked into place for Linus. “Halloween costumes don’t have to be animals, you know.” 

Sal squinted at him. “No?”

Linus caught Arthur’s twinkling eyes as his partner began to speak. “No. Just because the others all chose animal costumes, doesn’t mean you can’t be something or someone else.” He put his arm around Linus. “Our Linus here is a man of many talents and I am confident his costuming skills go well beyond papier-mache frog heads.” 

Linus’s face heated a little at the praise but he recovered quickly to chime in. “Yes, I’m sure we can manage something. Any ideas in mind?”

Sal thought for a moment. “No, I hadn’t, um, thought much about it. Once the other kids all decided to go as animals, I didn’t want to stop them.”

“We each get to forge our own path,” Arthur said. “It is perfectly alright to choose differently from the group, as long as we respect each other’s right to choose differently from us in turn. And you always do.” 

As Arthur spoke, Linus ran through his mental list of the children’s costumes again, looking for a connection. After a moment, he had it. “Theodore is dressing as a parrot. I wonder if he might like to be accompanied by a squash-buckling pirate captain?”

“That- that might be alright.” Sal’s lips slowly tweaked up in a smile. “Do you think he’d go for that?”

Arthur tipped his head toward the door. “Let’s find out?” 

They made their way downstairs and Sal crouched down next to the couch. “Hi, Theodore? Can we talk for a second?”

A quick series of chirps confirmed it: Theodore was delighted to have a themed perch and Sal would need a sash, an eye patch, and a sword. “And one more thing,” he said, shyly, just as Linus had finished taking his measurements.

“Of course,” Linus said. “Whatever the captain needs.”

“It’d be easier, not to be a pirate alone, I think.” Sal had said it carefully, too carefully, and Linus found himself more sure than ever he would support whatever it took to build his confidence. 

Arthur hummed his agreement. “Yes, I suppose there’s usually more crew aboard. A first mate perhaps?” 

Sal looked from Arthur to Linus. “A first mate! Could you, Linus?”

Linus looked Arthur up and down. “I suppose so, I’ll just get Arthur’s measurements and-”

Sal laughed, honestly laughed, and Linus felt a rush of joy at the rare sound. “Not Arthur, you!” Theodore chirped his agreement. 

Linus put a hand to his chest. “Me?”

“Why not? I think you’d make a dashing buccaneer,” said Arthur with a wink. How could he decline after all that?

Linus sighed, though without any real force behind it. “I suppose I’ve been rebellious enough lately that pirate isn’t much of a stretch anymore.” He checked his watch. “We’ve still got a moment before dinner, would you like to help me gather supplies?” 

* * *

The big night arrived and the family assembled next to the van, adjusting one another’s costumes and chattering about candy. Linus had even scavenged the buttons from an old coat and fashioned Theodore a little pouch he could carry around his neck with the new pirate treasure. He settled onto Sal’s shoulder and the effect was utterly adorable. 

Linus only managed to pull his eyes from the sweet scene when he heard Arthur’s light footsteps approach. He turned to find his partner completely decked out in a bright orange sweater, carved pumpkin face gaping out from his torso. He’d changed his socks as well, donning a pair in a lurid combination of neon green and deep plum. The entire garish ensemble was topped off with a jaunty witch’s hat, set at an angle atop his unruly hair. 

“Well, aren’t you dressed for the occasion!” Arthur called out to him, gesturing to Linus’s costume. “I didn’t even know you owned boots; that’ll be practical for winter. And how did you manage that mustache?” 

“Helen stayed with Zoe last night, so we borrowed an eyeliner pencil,” he replied. “And you’re one to talk. That sweater!”

Arthur tugged at the hem. “This old thing? I made it years ago.”

Linus rolled his eyes fondly. “Of course you can crochet. What can’t you do?”

Arthur gasped. “I’ll have you know this is knit, dear Linus. And for the record, I can’t crochet. Or sew.” Linus arched a brow, but Arthur only smiled more widely. “I’m serious! Fortunately, Zoe helped me manage the odd lost button, and she’s been teaching Lucy basic mending, but what you’ve done here? The children have never had such beautiful costumes and they’re all so excited. Thank you, darling.”

Linus went a little weak in the knees as Arthur leaned in for a kiss. He still managed a muttered “mind the mustache!” against Arthur’s lips. 

“Oh, of course, can’t be the first mate with a smudged mustache,” Arthur teased. 

“Can we get going now?” Phee called from behind them.

“Yeah, time is candy!” Talia added.

“I could probably make time candy,” said Lucy. “Who wants a lollipop that stops time?”

“It can be Halloween forever!” Chauncey cheered.

“We’d, ah, better distract them from that idea,” said Arthur, bemused.

They turned together back towards the assembled kids. “Of course,” said Linus. “It wouldn’t do to miss our village Halloween debut!” 

As they herded the children into the vans, Linus felt impossibly warm despite the October chill. He’d rather be sitting next to Arthur, ferrying these children out on an adventure, than anywhere else in the world. Drawn on mustache and all. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading!


End file.
